The alteration of bentonite buffer under high temperature is a critical research question for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Researchers at Berkeley Lab have actively participated with international colleagues in the “HotBENT” project, the centerpiece of which is long-term evaluation of bentonite buffer heated at 175-200 oC at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland. The testing site is now under construction, and the heating experiments are expected to begin in July. Liange Zheng, a staff scientist and the Nuclear Energy and Waste Program Head in the Energy Geosciences Division, is leading EESA’s participation in this project.